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Original poster

To be shocked I didn’t get the job

71 replies

Storm88 · 30/04/2018 22:13

I know, it’s life, but in this case I am so frustrated!

I applied for a job and was asked to go for an interview. Took the afternoon off work and met the owner. We got on well, and she was impressed with my experience. She also said she liked the fact I lived close to the office. She said she would let me know in about 3 days if I’ve got the job, after interviewing everyone.

In 3 days I got an email from her assistant asking me to complete a task. I was a bit annoyed as I bought I would have an answer by that point, but I did the task anyway. It involved writing three 400 word pieces, which I thought was quite excessive for the position.

I send the tasks within 2 days, and was told I would have an answer by the following week. A week passed and nothing, so I called to ask if there was any update to my application. I was told the owner was on holiday, but can I come and meet everyone tomorrow? I said yes, thinking if they’re asking me to come and meet the team I must be close to a job offer.

I went to meet everyone and it was a small team of four people. I got on with them and we chatted for about an hour, but I got a strange vibe off one of the women. She was close in age to me, unlike others who were a few decades older, and she came across really fake and kept rolling her eyes and making face at things I said.

I was then told I would here within a few days. A week passed and finally, I got an email. It said I had been unsuccessful.

I have had many job rejections in the past, but this felt different. I know they want to recruit the right person, but I felt they really dragged me along by saying I would hear by x date and then changing their minds. Maybe I am BU but It’s been a real waste of time Angry

OP posts:
Lotsofsausage · 01/05/2018 07:19

Some of these suggestions are absolutely absurd. Of course you can’t invoice them for the interview task you did. And believe me I interview people for a living and it takes up a lot of time and preparation so there is no way they’d go through that charade just to get a couple of pieces of writing done for free. What a ridiculous idea.
I imagine it was a close call between you and another candidate, which is why there was a task introduced. I have walked out of interviews thinking it was mine then not got the job.
Also -think if you found one of the ladies un pleasant - would you enjoy working there ? Although I would be tempted to ask for feedback and say that you noticed x rolling her eyes at some of your answers so you wanted to know what was so wrong with them- to help you improve in future. That should do it.

Pengggwn · 01/05/2018 07:22

In my experience, you don't bring someone in to 'meet the team' unless you're pretty clear you want to hire them. I doubt the eye roller had anything to do with it, and imagine it was something else. They definitely owe you feedback.

unicornpoopoop · 01/05/2018 07:24

We bring people in to meet the team as we've found that how people come across in interview and how they act with the team are usually completely different. It's a small team and it needs to be the right fit for the culture of the team

RulaLenskasHair · 01/05/2018 07:27

believe me I interview people for a living and it takes up a lot of time and preparation so there is no way they’d go through that charade just to get a couple of pieces of writing done for free.

I work in a large bank, and the amount of time they interview people just because the recruiter has sent them even they know they are not quite right is shocking.

Even down to this level of multiple interviews. They seem to like to check the person is wrong. Not all the time, but it happens more than I think is fair.

RulaLenskasHair · 01/05/2018 07:28

Thanks OP, know the feeling.

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 01/05/2018 07:40

You dodged a bullet. Eyerolly woman did you a favour.

Three 400-word pieces is beyond the limits of any 'test' work. I think I would contact them and inform them that I have not given them copyright in these pieces (I very much doubt you signed anything transferring copyright, although obviously check) and that you will take action if you find they are used.

Hoppinggreen · 01/05/2018 07:43

I was more or less offered a job once and just had to “ meet the team”
I them wasn’t actually offered the job as it basically one team member didn’t like me ( they put it more diplomatically than that). I only met her for about 10 minutes but I was vastly more experienced and had come form a market leader in the industry so perhaps she was intimidated ( I like to think it was her issue rather than me being horrible)

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 01/05/2018 07:44

Is it possible that they already have someone in the job as a temp/interim (who may be friends with the eye-roller), and they also applied for the job?

The one time I went for a job, had a great interview, and didn't get it, it went to the guy who was already in the job (public sector so had to advertise it).

I would most definitely want feedback, and from the owner. And if I had nothing to lose, I might comment that the process was unusual, and I had been aware of open hostility from one member of her team.

pigmcpigface · 01/05/2018 07:44

What were the 400 word pieces? If they are usable in some way (e.g. if this is an advertising copywriter job) then I'd say they got a few hours' work from you.... for free.

Their behaviour is really unprofessional, but that's not your bad. This reflects very poorly on them, not on you.

I absolutely hate eye-rolly women. There is no excuse for such graceless rudeness.

LoveRun · 01/05/2018 07:47

Sounds like a close shave. You wouldn't want to work for such a company anyway.

Oblomov18 · 01/05/2018 07:53

Close shave indeed. OP you can't see this because you are too close, but imagine you were reading this about someone else.
I would contact them re 400 Work not being used. And feedback.
What a waste of your time! Angry

MissCharleyP · 01/05/2018 07:58

It does sound strange....and annoying. I went for a job about six years ago and as part of the process we had to do a number of tests that were marked straight away, if you passed all those you were interviewed on the same day. I passed and when I went in for my interview, one person wasn’t there (it was two managers interviewing), the other said he’d go and find them. He left my test scores on the desk - I had got an A in every single one, I had also done the exact same job at another company. Long story short, I answered all the questions with really specific examples etc. Then got home to an email saying hadn’t got it. I asked for feedback and was told “When we asked you to give examples of XYZ, you didn’t say how it left you feeling.” Which to me is another way of saying “You didn’t do anything wrong but we had to find a reason not to employ you.” I later found out that none of the four of us that were interviewed had got the job, it went to someone internal. I actually think the practice of advertising jobs externally needs to stop if the company knows they’re going to promote someone internal. It’s a waste of everyone’s time and raises hope in people, who then find out they had no chance all along.

KingLooieCatz · 01/05/2018 08:04

One employer I applied for had me travel from Kent to Edinburgh three times at my own expense. It cost me hundreds of pounds in travel, days of annual leave and days of DH annual leave as he couldn't do school run etc around his shifts. The relevant person was quite hard to get hold of for feedback and the feedback was really vague. I was pissed off with them by that time anyway.

Anyways, they have lost the contract now and the job I got instead gives me a lot more flexibility.

If you still have any interest in working for them I wouldn't overly rock the boat, the other candidate might fall through, or they might consider you for another post in future.

SandyY2K · 01/05/2018 08:05

They strung you along and used you to do their work. Three 400 word pieces of work!

Interview and selection processes should be clear from the outset... it sounds like they were making their processes up as they went along.

I would ask for feedback on those pieces of work. I wonder if they asked all applicants to do that.

Juells · 01/05/2018 08:16

Lucky escape, it sounds like.

Chanelprincess · 01/05/2018 08:21

They decided you weren't the right fit for the team. Requesting presentations or to complete other written/verbal tests is standard practice in my industry and I always request these when selecting vendors. It's never about getting something 'for free' but making sure they have the experience I require before engaging them as a service provider. It wouldn't always be possible to provide examples of their work due to confidentiality clauses in place.

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 01/05/2018 08:23

You've been strung out and made to jump through hoops, I would assukr

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 01/05/2018 08:28

Gah! Bloody phone! I would assume either because you matched someone point for point or because eye roll lady didn't like you- and I think you've had a lucky escape from working with her. Turning every answer into another task with no explanation is shitty practice IMO.

I've had similar last year, two very positive early interviews and then the area manager hated me on sight, it felt like! Definitely push for feedback and don't let them use your words.

PyongyangKipperbang · 01/05/2018 08:29

I had one once where I was sent by a recruitment agency. It all seemed really positive and I was feeling confident only to find out I hadnt got it.

The recruiter then said they had been trying to fill the role for a year! The MD was notorious for being indecisive and couldnt commit to anyone so they hadnt expected me to get it. I was not happy I had wasted almost an entire day to this farce, plus prep time, when they knew that the chances of me getting the job was almost zero and made it clear to her how pissed off I was.

That said, it does sound like Little Miss Eye Roller queered your pitch so probably a lucky escape.

JackieReacher · 01/05/2018 08:29

You retain copyright in the 3 pieces you wrote by the way; if you see them being used (if that's possible), then - completely contrary to what I said on another thread recently- you need to pick up the phone. It's absolutely fine to provide samples for job applications but if you ever do, you should put a line on it about retention of c'right or ensure that the topic is out of date / not sufficiently relevant to the role for it to be usable. They can evaluate writing/ presentation skills without it being usable work (barging in and demanding a fee because you didn't get the role after one round which was the ge other thread on this- less appropriate)
Unfortunately I think this was very much a two horse race and the other one won

Fintress · 01/05/2018 08:35

In my experience, you don't bring someone in to 'meet the team' unless you're pretty clear you want to hire them

I had 3 half day interviews for a job, one of days was spent with various members of the team. I did get the job and when I later asked about the parts of the interview where no-one was interested in my skills, just my 'personality' I was told they wanted someone that would fit in, specific job skills could be taught. They were huge on training. Best job I ever had.

DailyMailClickbait · 01/05/2018 08:35

The last minute assignment request is rather suspect. It sounds to me like you were used as free labour. I have seen similar happen in other workplaces - candidates are invited in for a trial shift (unpaid and doing the grot work, natch) but are unsuccessful with their application. Firms essentially use them as free temps.

Keep an eye out for your work being used - and if they do, then I would drop them a polite note asking for payment, as if your work was good enough for them to use then they should have given you the job.

Fintress · 01/05/2018 08:36

Pressed sent too soon. OP it definitely sounds like fake rolly did indeed sabotage you. Possibly she was jealous and thought you would upstage her.

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 01/05/2018 08:38

Chanel - requests for test pieces of work are common in my field, and I am happy to provide them, but three 400-word pieces is excessive - add to that the rather unprofessional-sounding context here and my alarm bells would have been going off.

Melliegrantfirstlady · 01/05/2018 08:41

Was this a well known charitable organisation?

Similar happened to me. I was so annoyed. I believed that they really had someone internal lined up

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